Cigarette packages perform the functions of containing a pre-selected bundle of cigarettes and protecting the cigarettes from mechanical and environmental damage. In addition, a package protects the freshness of the cigarettes.
Cigarette packages are typically made from paper into the so-called soft package that tears open on a top panel, and from paperboard into the so-called hard package that typically includes an integral reclosable lid. Both types of packages generally include a foil or foil laminate wrapped around the cigarettes, and an additional sealed plastic film, typically polypropylene, wrapped around the outside of the package. The foil wrapper and outer plastic film are included to maintain the freshness of the packaged cigarettes.